Something To Remember
by livingforfiction
Summary: Victoria, the love of her life and their daughter start living over again. She was coming back to life. (Sequel of my story "Prisoner") Set in Season 4 time.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a sort of sequel of my story "Prisoner". As you read in the summary, Victoria, David and Charlotte start a new life together, far away from everything else. Rated M for some chapters, is not the whole story M._

 _The title is based in Madonna's (My idol) song from 1990 Something To Remember. hope you enjoy the story and reviews are welcome!_

* * *

"We want to know if you'd like to come with us. That's what we'd love."

 _"Oh God... mom, you're serious?"_

Victoria laughed at the phone, reflecting her joy. "Yes, darling, I am... If you come with us, we'll wait for you and we can leave tonight".

 _"Yes, mom..."_ She heard her daughter's laugh of happiness on the other side. _"Of course I'll go with you"._

"Oh honey… Thank God _"_

Victoria couldn't be happier. Her daughter, and the man she loved, the three going far away from everything else, the Hamptons, the Grayson last name, the public eye. Finally, the peace and the love she always wished she had a long time before.

She said goodbye to her daughter and hang out. Feeling free, went outside to the balcony silently, and standing behind David's chair, she put her hands in front of his eyes.

"Guess who's coming with us" she asked him with a huge smile.

"Really? She said yes?"

"Mmhhmm".

He took her hands off his eyes and seated her onto his lap, hugging her. "Can you believe it?" he asked, locking his gaze with hers.

She smiled. "Almost. I'll believe it completely when Charlotte's with us."

"Do you ever use any nickname with her?" Poor child, always calling her the same" He laughed.

"Well… In case you didn't know, she doesn't like them." She said informing with a smile. "Charlotte's all for her."

"Oh well, sure... I'll consider it."

* * *

The doorbell rang.

"There she is" Victoria said, getting up from the green grass of the garden.

The night was arriving to the medium-blue sky, and the first barely bright stars started to appear.

She crossed the hall and when she opened the door, her gaze enlightened and her smile expanded on her face.

"Darling…" she said hugging her daughter tight, although they had seen each other the day before.

"How are you?" Charlotte asked with a smile, still stuck into her mother's arms.

"Happy to see you…" she responded and caressed her daughter's cheek. "I just…" she laughed. "I'm just glad you want to come with us".

"I am too."

Both walked towards the garden, and he jumped up with joy. "Hi beautiful" he said, giving his daughter a hug.

"Honey, do you need something else from here?" Victoria asked.

"Aaahh actually yes. Going to get a few things I'll be right back" she said, walking out from the garden and directing to the staircase.

Victoria seated on the grass again, and noticed David being distracted, lost in something inside his mind. She bent her head forth to try to catch his gaze.

"Hey... You're okay?" She asked.

"Yes..."

"You were thinking..." she said, wanting to ask but controlling the impulse.

"Yeah, I was just... thinking about all the time I missed of her life"

She took his hand between hers and kissed it. "I know, but… remember the time you both have forward since now… unlimited time."

He looked at her with loving eyes and gave her a sweet kiss.

* * *

It was done.

They were embarked now. Something was going to come, something simple. Life, that was it. They were finally in it. The whole meaning of Life.

She thought all this while focusing both of her eyes on the glass. On that infinite. She stared at nothing, only her thoughts.

She missed her boys. Victoria wasn't sure that Daniel would want to see her. He doesn't since a lot of time ago. And Patrick… she closed her eyes when his memory appeared.

" _Oh baby…"_ she thought. She wanted to hug him tight and look into his eyes. She wondered if he'd be missing her. His memory shook her so much, that she got out of her world of thoughts and reflection and turned back above her shoulder.

Charlotte was asleep, with her arms on top of the cushion she brought, and her head against the glass. She always used to bring a cushion when she traveled. _"It gives me calm and safety"_ her daughter always told her. She was glad that she'd have her girl with her. At least she didn't leave her mother.

She glanced at her watch: _02:15._ "How far did you say we are?" she asked David.

"Only half an hour left, baby." he said, looking at her. He saw her lost on the infinite through the glass again. "Vee, you're okay?".

She looked at him "Yes… I'm just thinking."

"I can see… but I wanna know if you feel good."

"Yes I do... I just miss my sons." she said, and turned back again to the glass.

He knew it. Something was happening to her. He should have suspected it was that… But he couldn't say anything to make her feel better, he couldn't. Nothing could erase the fact that her youngest son didn't want to see her at all. And the oldest, well… He couldn't say anything because he didn't know him. The only things he had heard about Patrick were the ones Victoria told him. He'd love to meet him, anyway.

There were so many things to say still. To discuss, to tell.

Victoria was still trying to decide when to tell him the truth. Tell him that she betrayed him all those years ago giving his laptop to her husband, to use it as a false evidence for what would come after.

She was trying to decide if she would tell him. Was it necessary?... " _Is it, Victoria? C'mon, it was a long time ago… you were scared. Your child was in risk."_ her preservation instinct didn't stop. She wished she could shut it up….

Yes, she would. She had to, she had to be honest with him, as he was with her. He didn't deserve one more lie. She would, definitely.

The fear of losing him again was killer and paralyzing. It was invading her, until the panic. But more paralyzing was the sense of guilt she would carry if she didn't tell him. SHE WOULD TELL HIM.

* * *

 _02:50._

"God… this is beautiful" she said slowly, contemplating that peaceful and harmonious whole of green. How the stars filled the sky contrasting their glow with the black of the night impressed her.

Both stood quiet, looking around, admiring what they saw and thanking God for the chance of living there… together. That house and that farm were everything she could have wished for them. For the peace she was looking for since a lot of time ago.

"Honey...Charlotte, baby" Victoria whispered into her daughter's ear. She opened her eyes softly. "We're here".

"Okay" the girl responded low, straightening on her seat and reaching for her shelter.

She waited for her daughter to put on her coat, helped her to get out and took her hand bag.

"Vee, you should put on your coat, it's cold". David said.

"Yeah" she responded, not giving him much attention.

"Sweetheart, let's go inside." He said, hugging his daughter and walking towards the house. Victoria couldn't avoid to lock her gaze on them while they crossed the front field…

" _Finally._ " she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the reviews guys! I'm only gonna say that for those who are worried about Victoria telling him the truth, just... don't be. Haha. Hope you like the chapter._

* * *

Victoria stretched her arm and reached for her watch: _06.15._

 _"God, Victoria go back to sleep. You don't have obligations from now on."_ She told to herself. But she couldn't, she tried but she couldn't keep sleeping. There wasn't a reason for that... Stress? No. Why would she be stressed?

Worries? Well no, she didn't have any.

Maybe it was just about adaptation... this was new for her. The calm, the freedom, the possibility of doing what you want without being pressed. She didn't remember what that was like.

She turned to the side and faced him. A smile blossomed from her face as she looked at him...

She tried to sleep for the next half an hour. And nothing. She couldn't fall asleep.

So, she had to do something. She sat on the edge of the bed and stretched her slim body backwards. Her still heavy eyelids kept her there for seconds... as the singing of the evidently different kinds of birds took her attention.

God, how beautiful... she could hear them loud and clear from inside their bedroom.

She put on her night coat, and without making any sound with the door, she got out of the room, and walked towards the back door. That house was delicately decorated and proved that its previous owner had quite large economic possibilities. David hadn't told her this... But it was obvious, that house was beautiful.

 _"Oh God, thank you for this place"_ she prayed, admiring that gorgeous (And generously big) whole of green field.

Now that she was definitely awake, and with that growing sunrise light she could appreciate where they were going to live from now.

There was a 80 mts. front field before the house, and the farm along with the barn was 20 mts. behind the house. It was so peaceful, and quiet. Thank God, because that was all she wanted since a long time ago. Her children (Sadly, but at least she had one of them beside her), the love of her life, and peace. A life. Now she could have a life.

"I thought you'd probably be here"... she heard a voice coming from behind. Turning around, she saw him walking towards her with a smile. "Good morning" he said before giving her a short kiss.

"Good morning" she replied.

He took her hand and walked both to the wood planks that indicated the limits of the fields.

Beyond them, a big quantity of animals could be seen on the neighbor's field.

"Why does he have so many?" Victoria asked.

"Animals?... He sells most of them, and a few ones are for the personal use"

"Oh..." she nodded.

"Come here..." he said, taking her hand. "...I wanna show you something... And I know you'll like it" and guided them to the barn.

He undid the wood locker and opened the door. "Come in" he said.

When both came in, a smile automatically appeared on her face and she let out a little scream of joy.

"Aaaaaahhhh yeeeeeeees!" She yelled running to the horses, as a little girl would do.

"I knew it" he said laughing.

"Now this is what I call HAPPINESS" she said laughing.

She caressed and kissed the three of them. "Do they have name?" she asked.

"I don't really know that"

"Great. This white is mine from now on..."

"Oh but, who told you they don't have an owner?" He said.

"Oh, c'mon... you're serious?" She said caressing her horse.

He laughed. "No I'm not. Choose the one you want... and name her as you want but please... be reasonable" he said laughing.

"Her? It's a female?"

"Mmhhmm"

"Ooohhh yessss..." she said kissing the animal.

"Have you already eat something?"

"No"

"Okay, let's go inside?... To eat something"

"Yes. Aahh, I'll be there... you go."

"Okay". He said and walked towards the door, getting out.

Why would she want to stay there, with the horses?... Was it for pure fond to the animals... or did she want to be alone?. Maybe he doesn't need to worry, maybe she just wanted to be with the animals a little more.

Inside there, she thought if it was still early to talk with him... about that. Because she needed to, she could feel it…

In the middle of the thoughts storm her mind was trapped in, she felt an unbearable headache. A painful pressure in her whole head, as if two hands were pushing her brain.

Victoria desperately put her hands around her temple, trying to make the tremendous pain disappear. She walked quickly outside the barn, and headed to the house, entering from the back door.

David was making breakfast when he turned around and saw her with that painful expression on her face and one hand around her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently, going towards her and grabbing her from her shoulders. "Vee, what is it?"

"It hurts".

"Where?"

"All. The whole head" she said without taking her hands off her head.

"Sit." he said, looking for a glass of water and placing it in front of her.

"Maybe you're tired, plus you haven't eat anything."

She could only sigh in pain, while she drank the water.

He took her hand in his. "Better?"

"A little."

He stood up and reached for the toasts he made from the counter.

"Take. Eat something, darling". He said giving her a glass with juice.

She followed his advice.

After a few minutes beside her, she seemed better.

"Is it gone?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm tired" she said.

"Go. It's still early".

She headed to the bedroom. In the way there, she stopped at Charlotte's room door, and opened it slowly to watch her. She was fine, completely inside her sleep.

She got into her bed, and quickly she fell asleep…

* * *

"Better or worse, he'll know" he said.

"Well, anyway... he doesn't want to see me. So it doesn't matter if he founds out where we are".

He remembered Daniel. He was such a sweet, well mannered boy.

He couldn't see his woman suffer like that...

He grabbed her waist and laid her body along with his on the couch, with her on his lap.

Without realizing it, he was caressing her lower abdomen. That sweet part of her body... it reminded him how good life had been with them, even though what happened the last twenty years, giving them a child together.

He felt happy of having a daughter with the woman he loved.

"Should I wake her up? It's almost one." She asked.

"No, Vee... let her sleep. She can do whatever she wants here now".

"Yes, right".

In that moment, she thought this could be the right circumstance to tell him... the truth. She considered it in silence, for minutes.

But something stopped her.

 _It's the past, Victoria, the past. You can't lose someone you love again. No, no. Shut up, Victoria._

"What do you wanna eat?"she asked.

"No way..." he looked at her with a smile, making laugh of her. "...are you gonna cook?"

"What do you mean with that?" She laughed. "I used to cook for you before"

"Yes, I remember, but I didn't think you would want to cook... right after arriving here".

"Actually I like it... But with the life I was having, cooking didn't look... 'decorous' for a woman in the Hamptons"

"Sure... did you anytime get bored of that life?" he asked, caressing her hair.

She made a short silence. "Of course I did... shortly after I made the mistake of getting into a loveless marriage".

He didn't say anything. What was he going to say? He was feeling the same way he always felt about her. He has always wondered why an incredible woman as her had to suffer like that. With no love, no companion, no one to listen to her.

In a sudden moment, they saw Charlotte's body running across the corridor, beside the living room where they were sitting. She got into the bathroom hurrying...

"Charlotte?" Victoria shouted, standing up instantly and running to the bathroom.

When she entered, she found her daughter on her knees in front of the toilet, vomiting.

"Baby..." she kneeled beside her and helped holding her hair behind, while she caressed her arm.

"Sshh, it's okay. I'm here" she whispered. That always calmed her daughter. Always. The sound of the air running out through her mother's teeth made her feel like a baby again.

Both stood up, and Victoria guided her daughter to wash her mouth.

"Were you this way last night?

"No... I woke up five minutes ago and I felt the nausea from nowhere" the girl replied.

"Maybe it's because you haven't eat anything"

"But I'm not hungry"

"I know, but sometimes you need to."

"But... it's strange" Charlotte said. "I've been feeling this way since last week"

Victoria made a pause, while she thought about what her daughter said, trying to find out what could be happening to her... And there was it. It came to her like a flashlight.

"Baby...when did you have your last period?" She asked.

The eyes of the girl widened as she realized that her mother could be right.

"Oh God..." she closed her eyes. "You're right"

"What is it?

"I should have had it two weeks ago...I completely forgot".

Victoria and her daughter met each other's eyes in a look full of complicity.

"Do you think...?" The girl started.

"We have to be sure"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes... right"

"Oh, darling..." her mother hugged her fondly.

How did the time go so fast?... Where was the baby she had twenty years ago?


	3. Chapter 3

_Again thank you for the reviews! Enjoy the chapter._

* * *

"What? Are you sure?" David asked surprised.

"No, we're not. But I'm letting you know from now… she could be"

"God…" he sat down on the couch.

"It's good news, David".

"Yes, of course it is… I know"

"Well, then let your face know."

He laughed softly. He was just starting to meet his daughter, and now he could already have a grandchild. But of course he was happy, a child is always good news.

"Vee…" he looked at his woman and made a silence. He wanted to ask it in the most respectful way he could, for not to offend any of them. "...who's the father?"

She breathed deeply and sat beside him. "She suppose it's Javier. A friend of Nolan Ross."

"Oh… and, did they have something serious?"

"No, they never did… Declan was her last serious relationship. She could never recover completely. And I truly understand her".

David just looked at her in silence. Twenty years, and she already had to suffer ruthlessly like her mother.

"Was he a good guy?"

"Declan?" she laughed remembering him with affection. "Totally… he truly loved her. A good kid, protective, and really cared about her."

David smiled.

"Mom!" Charlotte's voice got out of the bathroom.

"I'm coming!" Victoria replied, and stood up heading to the bathroom.

* * *

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

"And?"

Charlotte showed the white stick to her mother… with two lines in it.

She locked eyes with her daughter, and the girl's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh love…" Victoria said smiling, taking her daughter into her arms.

When they separated, Charlotte was crying and her mother was almost there, with her eyes full of tears.

She placed her hands on her daughter's face. "Baby… do you feel good?"

She nodded. "Yes… I am. I am" she repeated laughing, while her mother dried her tears with her fingers. "God, I never thought this could feel so nice".

"It does, right?" Victoria said caressing her daughter's hair.

"Mom, I'm still a kid… Will I be good enough?"

"Oh of course you will… And you will ask yourself that question for the rest of your life. But the important here is, that you love this baby… That we love this baby. And you will never be alone in this."

* * *

That night, both had troubles for sleeping. They just couldn't.

The new life, new home, the joy of being the three together, and now... their grandchild.

He was holding her from behind, with an arm wrapped around her waist and the other on her hair. She holded his arm fondly.

"Vee"

"Mmhhmm?"

"...Can I ask you something?" He said.

She turned around and looked at him. "Yes... Is everything fine?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I ask, but I never stopped thinking if you loved someone else during this time".

She turned back and looked through the window, right to the full moon.

Without showing any hesitation, she lied to him.

 _Again, Victoria?... You're gonna lose him. Sooner or later, he'll leave you as you left him. 'SHUT UP!'_

"No." She couldn't tell him she was just about to marry someone else. That would destroy him.

"I don't believe you." He replied.

"What?" She turned around and looked at him.

"I don't believe you, Vee. You're not telling me the truth. I know you... And I don't know the reason why you're lying, but I'm not gonna judge you."

God, she loved him.

She made a pause. "...I did... I felt something very strong for someone you don't know. But it was never like what I always felt for you. It was never like hiding your photo with my jewels for nobody to find it."

"And what happened?"

"... He's dead." She said with a low voice tone.

"I'm sorry."

She caressed his cheek. "You're aware that I love you, right? Always have... and always will"

"I am." he just said.

She got worried. Why was he being so cold? In another moment, he would have been caressing her, and looking at her with fond eyes and telling her that he loves her.

"Is something else you haven't told me, and you don't wanna tell me for another mysterious reason?"

Shit, no... please. She felt her heart racing and her throat getting hard. But her face was intact.

She softly laughed. "No... Why would be?"

"I don't know... people change, Victoria."

She sat up. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just telling you... I don't want more lies. I know it's a self-defense mechanism that you've learned to have. But it's not necessary with me."

She got close to him. "I know, love. And I promise you I'm not hiding anything."

 _Damn betrayer. He will hate you..._

She kissed him deeply to shut her mind up.

He caressed her leg as she was biting his lower lip.

 _Making love to him is not gonna save you, pretty._

 _"_ STOP!" she yelled angrily against her unconscious, after breaking from his mouth suddenly.

She got up and headed beside the window, crossing her arms and locking eyes with the nothing.

A few second later, she felt his protective arms holding her from behind.

"Baby, what's the matter?... As always something's happening to you and you don't wanna open yourself"

"I'm just... I don't know."

"You yelled to something..."

"Yes, to my own mind"

"Why?"

She turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder, and the other on his chest.

She locked her eyes with his until she could finally say something.

"It hurts."

He hugged her. "I know it does... I know"

"My soul's hurting"

But she was used to pain.

"Let's try to sleep, you want?"

She nodded like a little girl against his chest.

Ten minutes later, after caresses, looks and kisses, they were making love.

It was slow. Slowly, he loved her, he protected her, he wiped away all her fears.

They were laying on her back, and her arms were strongly pinned to his wide back. She was wishing he could never get up from her.

With his mouth and his tongue, he kissed her neck... His weakness. Her neck.

Sliding his lips up and down, he felt poisoned, intoxicated by his woman's flesh.

And the way she reacted to him, how she delivered herself completely to him and let him be the owner of her body.

With every thrust, every slow and sweet thrust, she felt flying, suspended on the air, free of every single trouble she could have.

He holded her in a way that made her feel safe, sane and wanted.

How she wished this could never end. She wanted this every single day of her life. To make love with a person you truly love is a blessing, that's what she thought.

With one hand he was holding her head, and the other was placed on her thigh.

He could feel the sweat in her neck... and the heat coming from her chest.

Her sounds of pleasure made this his paradise.

Feeling her skin, her sweat, her heat, her moves, her sounds were... "Baby..." she whispered to him. "Please, harder" she sighed.

He gave his queen what she desired.

He placed his ear close to her throat to hear every sound deepening in it, but also to feel the vibrations in his own skin.

Every moan grew louder, the pressure inside her was stronger and her arms hold him until her skin became white.

Her desperate pleasant cry got out of her mouth. Those sweet, thick lips were barely open letting the sound get out of her body. And her eyes remained closed, with his head beside hers on the pillow.

"I love you." She whispered. "I really do... never doubt it."

"I love you too, queen..."

 _You liar bitch. When he finds out, you will cry. And you're gonna be alone, again._

 _"_ Please don't leave me" she begged him. He looked at her wondering why she was saying that. "Please".

"I won't. I won't leave you" he said caressing her hair.

* * *

The next morning, both were awake at 9.

They stayed lying there, sharing smiles, eyes, laughs and words about anything that two persons with a long time knowing each other could talk about.

He made her laugh the same he always had. There was even moments where she couldn't just talk because of how much she was laughing. She reached a point where the air was missing and he had to hold her head to avoid her to keep laughing.

God, he loved her. Her laugh was one of the most cheerful and full of life laughs he'd ever heard.

She felt an ache growing up inside her stomach, hurting her until contracting it.

She realized what that was. She had felt it before.

She got up from the bed and ran away to the bathroom with a hand on her stomach. She kneeled and hold her hair the faster she could.

There was it. She vomited like only a few times she had before. Feeling her throat and her lungs closing at the same time, like the air was missing.

This wasn't a normal vomit.

* * *

"How long have you had this?" He asked her, both sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Ahm... like two weeks, I guess".

"Right, the headaches. And the vomiting?"

"Probably the same."

"Then we should ask, Vee."

She firmly denied it. "No."

"You could have something, Victoria"

"I said no, It's nothing."

He grabbed her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "You could be sick! Can't you understand?"

Abruptly, she pushed his hand away with a not happy expression. "Don't touch me". She stood up and headed outside the room.

She knew she had something. She felt different, he was right. But she didn't think it was so important. After all, dying was not something that she feared.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Hi and thank you for the reviews again! Loving to see you are following my story. I'd love to meet more Revenge fans so if you want you can follow me on Tw ( honourthequeen) i follow everybody. Enjoy the chapter!_**

* * *

Lying against the wood planks beside the neighbor's field, she thought about the words he said just 10 minutes ago.

And he was right. She knew he would just want her to be fine...But who'd take care of Charlotte? And their grandchild? She didn't want to get him through all that alone.

And also, what would be so terrible? She had this symptoms before many times. The diagnose was always the same: Stress, Pressure, Sadness.

At least that's what she wanted to think. "I'm sure it's nothing" she kept saying to herself.

Along with the wind spreading her hair, she heard a voice coming from behind.

"Vee" he said hugging her from the waist. "I'm sorry if what I said bothered you... But I think you'll understand if I tell you how desperate I get with the idea of losing Charlotte or you. Again"

She didn't responded to him in any way. She just stood there, thinking about those words, with her arms crossed.

"Okay, ignore me if you want. Just remember that I love you and that's why I'm doing this" he said, before turning around and coming back.

A tear escaped from her.

On this case, she'd be up on the horse tearing away all her worries. So that's what she did.

Looking to the barn with that idea, she started walking in that direction.

For some reason, she was feeling tired, every moment walking slower feeling her body being weaker. A wave of something that avoided her to keep a rhythm while she walked.

Pain. _Oh God,_ another headache.

This time was stronger. She couldn't resist her body to kneel on the ground with her hands on her temple.

* * *

"If you don't say yes, I'll take you there against your will."

She laughed making fun of him. "Try it."

"Can't you just take it seriously?"

She rolled her eyes. "I am, darling."

"Fine. We'll go this afternoon."

 _Shit._ "And also we could bring Charlotte for a control too." she suggested.

He nodded. He had been waiting for that day to come. That day where he could sit in peace and talk with his woman and his daughters. Even when one of them wasn't here, he had the other one beside him now.

She looked around and placed her eyes through the big crystal window of the living room… Once again, she realized that she was finally here. With her daughter, the love of her life and their grandchild. She was safe, finally safe. She didn't have why to handle things with that attitude. It was her self-defense mechanism, but as he had said to her, it wasn't necessary. He was just trying to protect them. And he was worried. She understood it.

Standing up from the chair where she was seated, she turned around the table and hugged him from behind, laying her chin against his back.

"I'm sorry… for the way I'm treating you. I don't want to hurt you."

He took her hand and turning around, he took her into his arms. "I know, queen. Sometimes people have to say thing explicitly for you to understand.. But it's not your fault… you're just not used, but you will."

"Love…" she lifted her head and looked at him with a gaze of fear. "...do you think I have something?"

"I don't know… I wish you don't. But don't be scared. Maybe it's nothing, as you said."

"But maybe it is something".

"Just try to focus on something else. What if you tell Charlotte that I made her breakfast?... Maybe she feels good enough to eat."

"Right." she replied, kissing him quickly.

Victoria headed to her daughter's room.

Carefully, she opened the door and once inside, she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Daughter..." she whispered placing a hand on her hair. "Charlotte, darling…"

The girl opened her eyes slowly.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm good." Charlotte said softly.

"Are you hungry?"

She nodded.

"Your dad made you breakfast."

The girl smiled. She had never heard something like that before. "What time is it?"

"Like eleven"

"Okay… I'll get up".

"You wanna stay?"

"No, it's okay. I'll get up."

Minutes later, she was sitting in front of the breakfast counter eating slowly, with her eyes still heavy because of the sleep.

"Daughter, I'm going to see a doctor today… _because your father pressed me to"_ she said whispering the final part. "And we could take you for a control too."

"Why are you going?"

"Well... " she looked at him for his assistance with this. "I've been having a pair of strong headaches and, today early I vomited… Just in case"

"Oh, right… you've had that before".

"Yes I know, but... someone is worried"

Charlotte laughed. How she had wished to see them both together. How they were, how they looked like together.

* * *

"Well… how are you feeling now, Victoria?" The woman doctor asked to her. David had his hand placed on her thigh.

"I feel good now" she responded.

"Good. Can you tell me how long ago have the headaches started?"

She thought a few seconds. "Like… between two and three weeks, I guess."

"Right. And the vomits?"

"The same time."

The doctor nodded. "Any other symptom?"

"Well… Sometimes I'm just fine and a second after I'm feeling very weak. Like my muscles don't work and I have to sit down. I don't know if that could be one. And… I've been having a little chills. Along with my temperature. I just feel my body getting hotter and when I touch my forehead, I realize I have fever."

"How often does all this happen?"

She stayed thinking. "The headaches were happening almost every day… they're very strong. And, the fever… not so often. Maybe three times in a week. Like the vomits"

"Fine. This symptoms could mean a lot of things. But to have a first idea, we're gonna make you a blood test. And from that, we can see if we should make something else."

"Okay" she nodded.

"Meanwhile, I suggest you to save repose the most possible. And eat lightly."

Ten minutes later, the needle was perforating Victoria's arm skin.

David was outside with Charlotte. And she felt calmed… as few times she did. Even when she didn't like doctors and hospitals very much. The joy of being now a grandmother and being together was a blessing. She smiled as the nurse put her blood in reserve.

When everything was done, she got out to find her daughter's eyes meeting hers.

"Is everything alright?" the girl asked.

"Yes, honey, it is. They said 3 days."

* * *

"You're going to feel cold, okay?" The doctor said. The girl nodded smiling.

Her mother was beside her, holding her hand. They had invited David to come inside with them, but he said he didn't want to 'encroach' this moment between his women. Although they insisted, he felt this thing of shame.

The dark image appeared in the monitor. There was it.

The eyes of both woman soon got wet, with the difference that Charlotte couldn't hold them. They just popped out of her eyes without asking for permission.

She looked at her mother with a gaze of sweetness and astonishment.

Victoria smiled at those eyes of her daughter, kissing her forehead and laying on her shoulder.

"That's your child…" she whispered to her daughter.

"It has about 2 cm" the doctor said. "Everything's perfect".

The woman turned on a little button in the display, and a fast-speed little heartbeat started to sound. "There is it."

Charlotte just kept pressing her mother's hand over and over, stronger. Not even a word could be free off of her mouth.

"Mom... I don't know if I'm ready."

"I know how you feel... don't forget I lived something similar" she replied laughing. "But believe me... once you start to feel your child moving inside of you... there will be nothing more than you want that having it between your arms."

The girl nodded while her mother dried her tears.

* * *

Back at home, the sun was hiding stunningly in front of the main big window of the living room, while Victoria laid on the black couch beside it. Her head was quiet, but also full of thoughts.

She was sure she perceived some little expression of worry on the doctor's face. Something small. That could be only her imagination, but she was sure she saw it...

" _Save repose_ " the woman said. God, for the next three days? That was an eternity for her.

"Are you alright?"

She lifted her head, taking it off from the ocean of imagination to see David coming and sitting beside her.

"Yeah... I am"

"Okay... I'll say that I believe you"

She made a gesture of not understanding what he said.

"What I mean is... I don't know why you keep hiding yourself from me, Vee."

Before she could reply, he made sure she didn't feel accused, because he wasn't doing that. "I'm not judging you... I just say that... Now that we're here, in peace, together, you can be honest and tell me whatever you want. I know few times you have heard this from someone, but remember I've always cared about you. And I'll protect you, my daughter and our grandchild, over my life"

"Don't say that" she said precipitately.

"Okay, sorry."

"But you're right... And I'm still using to this. To live in peace." She gave him a sweet smile.

"Of course... now... Does something have you worried?"

She made a pause, pinning her eyes to his, and let out a deep sigh. "The test"

"I know. But either if you have something or if you don't, worrying is not gonna help. So..." he stopped thinking. "Let's play something. I'll teach you"

She laughed sweetly. "Oh God... What did you learn in prison?"

"No no no, none about that. It's something I created the first days I was there. Look... Close your eyes."

"Okay" she said obeying.

His voice started to become lower and softer, as if he'd be hypnotising her.

"I'm gonna say you a random word. And whatever appears on your mind, you're going to make something nice about it."

"Right. Do I have to tell you it?"

"Not necessary. This was designed to work for you mainly."

"Fine"

"...Moon" he started.

 _The beach house. All those nights they used to spend awake beside the window watching the moon above the ocean, embracing each other._

A smile escaped from her. He was glad to see that... it worked. God, he loved her.

"...Rice"

 _Daniel. She was teaching him to eat by himself... he'd had been about one year._

Another smile.

 _"_ Glass".

 _No. All those glasses and vases she had broken whenever she got angry. The invading sound in her ear._

Her expression became evident. She denied with her head softly...

"Make it good." He said urgently.

 _Oh God. Pascal. The glasses she had shared with him the last few days._

Another smile.

"Pink"

 _Charlotte. Oh, baby girl. That room was full of pink everywhere. Clothes, perfumes, towels..._

She smiled.

"Vainilla"

 _Her bump. Daniel. She was one month away of giving birth. The vanilla food was her obsession. Everything that had vanilla. She ate what she found._

He softly placed his fingers on the skin of her hand.

"Do you feel better?" He whispered.

She nodded with a smile.

"Great. You can open them"

She did, and gave a short laugh amazed at the effects of this.

"What the hell does this on the human brain?"

He smiled. "In fact, my dear, this is none of a science. This is just an exercise for... resilience. Although..." he made a pause. "You know that word very well".

"Maybe... But anyway, tell me how this came to your mind"

"Well... it was like my third or fourth day, and I already felt like dying because I needed Amanda. And you. And I decided that if I was going to live there for the rest of my life, at least I was going to try to live better. So one night, I started trying to wipe away every bad thought that came to my mind in that moment. And take whatever I could to make it nice. And it worked." He said proud, with a smile.

"Wow. You're better than me in this of the resilience." She laughed.

"I think we're just in an equal situation."

"Why?"

"Because I've been hiding all these years, I could have come for Amanda before she was gone and for you earlier. But you, darling... you've been living without love or joy for the last twenty-something years. And you've had to put a smile on your face when I bet many of those days you just wanted to get in bed and cry."

"...Yes." She just said. "And you. I wanted to get in bed and cry, and you." She said getting close to him.

"Well... all that's gone. We're here. The four. We're a family." He said, giving her a sweet kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hi and thank you for your reviews, and also for following me on Tw. Hope you like the chapter :D**_

* * *

The rain drops sang a relaxing and peaceful sound in the roof. The weather had became cold, and the low temperature filled the house.

David opened his eyes very early. He turned his head around to the clock on the night table: _06:12._ Insolvently, he tried to fall asleep again without results.

Among the non-so-dark darkness of their bedroom, which was slowly starting to light up due to the sunrise infiltrating through the window blind, he decided just to stay there calm; enjoying the harmonious sound, the lovely heat of the polar blankets above them, and the precious view of his woman beside him.

She was so adorable when she slept. Those smooth black locks lying above the pillow, her hands cuddled in front of her chest like a little girl; The blankets covering her face up to her nose… " _Thank you Lord, for all this._ " he thought.

An hour later, Victoria woke up in front of his eyes. They were the first thing she saw when she opened hers. A sleepy sound came out of her and quickly connected to that, the smile that making eye contact with him produced on her.

"Hi" she whispered. He loved when she whispered. It was so sweet on her.

"Hi".

She turned her head around to the closed window and frowned. "Is it raining?"

"Mmhhmm".

"Oh… how nice" she said, letting a yawn escape. "When did you wake up?" her voice was still drowsy.

"Like an hour ago" he replied.

She nodded.

"I had a beautiful dream last night" he told her.

She smiled "Hm, really?"

"Yes…"

"Well, tell me".

"It was sort of a memories dream… You were pregnant. You had just found out it was a girl."

A smile drew up on her face. With her hand, she sought his beneath the sheets and softly laid hers on his palm. "I couldn't be happier… I remember how happy we were. Nothing could control you…" she remembered laughing.

He smiled closing his eyes, giving her the reason. "Well...yeah. Certainly. I was out of myself because of the joy."

She got closer and gave him a sweet kiss. "Good morning" she said.

Another hour they spent there. Warm, talking and enjoying the sound of the rain, he embraced her for an hour more.

* * *

"Honey… Are you alright?" Victoria said, sitting on the sofa beside her daughter.

Charlotte had her gaze lost in the infinite through the window. Just as her mother uses to do.

"Oh, yes." the girl smiled to her.

"You feel good?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I was just, thinking… you know."

"Can I ask?"

"Nothing bad… just thinking about… random things. Like names, for example."

Both smiled.

"What do you have in mind?" Victoria asked, placing a hand on her daughter's knee.

"Well… for a boy, I have absolutely no idea. But for a girl, I have two or three that I like."

"And those are…?"

"One is Sofia… it was Declan's mom's name."

Victoria smiled softly. She was glad Declan was still in her heart with good memories and not sadness.

"Other is Isabella, and Amal."

"Oh, I love the three."

"Really? Because I want to put two… "

She nodded. "Well if you ask me, I'd choose Sofia and Isabella."

"Right. Which one first?"

"Uh… I don't know, both fit good together. Maybe Isabella first… but remember baby, it's your choice"

"Okay. Thanks, I'll think about it… I hope I don't like another one in all this time because I'll be complicated" the girl laughed.

* * *

The three spent the whole day inside the house. Talking, or just simply sitting beside the window to watch the misty rain drawing paths on the glass. It was the coffee, tea and hot food day.

Around seven, the sun had already disappeared when the quite dark sky was set free of the big clouds that covered it all day.

From one hour to another, bright and glowing stars were exposing themselves above the fields.

"I'm tired" said Charlotte, placing her hand on his father's shoulder. "I'm going to bed."

"Okay, honey" he replied kissing her hand. "Have you eat something?"

"Yes, don't worry. I ate two apples and a banana"

"Fine. Get rest" he smiled to his daughter.

Victoria was entering the living room from the staircase. "Is she going to bed?"

"Yes. She's tired." Said David from the sofa.

"Oh, and I understand her..." she walked towards him, and seated on his lap, stretching her legs on the couch. "Sometimes you can be just fine and a second after that, you're dying for sleeping".

He hold her from her waist, and the other hand laid on her leg.

"If could have had another child... Would you?"

"Well,... I loved every second of being a mother. I loved being pregnant and I love babies. So... probably I'd have. If I'd have had the chance"

He nodded and made a pause.

"I don't remember the last time I hold a child"

"Well... you'll have enough time in a few months." She smiled.

"Yes..."

He took a look outside. "God,look at the sky... This night requires a bonfire, don't you think?" He said, backing his gaze to her.

"Really?... You know I love them"

He smiled, while he slipped a hand through her hair. "Yes, of course I know... C'mon let's do it. Let's go." She gave him a happy smile.

He lifted them up. Both grabbed some thin shelters, and headed outside.

* * *

The big fire flame crunched in front of them. The big tree branch they were sitting on was hot too. Both with cups of tea in their hands, and one polar sheet above their shoulders, they seated closely beside each other.

Their free hands were intertwined, firmly, warmly, lovely, and laid exactly above the line between her thigh and his.

She looked so damn beautiful that way. Just in the simple way. Tank top, thick tight jeans, boots, a sweater and the sheet. And her.

They were talking about any triviality somebody can imagine... And that topic came on.

"Vee... can I make you a question?"

"Sure"

"Do you still have the ring?" Oh, that ring. She knew what he was talking about.

"Uhm, yes... I do. I don't plan to sell it for nothing. It's my way to remember him."

He nodded.

He could understand her. She felt something for him, he was special for her. That was right, he thought.

"Why?"

"No, just... asking"

She made a pause, and pinned her eyes on the fire sparks.

"Life isn't fair... Once you try to let every bad thing on your life behind, and start over with someone who can love you... and protect you, and care about you... Just, doesn't. Life fucks you from behind."

He tried to think this wasn't always the same. But she was right... just in that moment, life fails you.

And she deserved happiness.

"Anyway... all that's over. I hope life doesn't fuck me this time that I feel we can finally live happy." She said laughing.

God, he loved her. She was so fragile inside. Always afraid, even when she showed a very different image. He knew the real her. She had lost too much, and suffered too much. What he wouldn't do for her to finally be happy.

"I'd had loved..." he placed a hand on her cheek. "I'd had loved to could marry you, Vee."

Her face enlightened with a wide smile.

She felt that feeling you get when your heart is melting by love. Only love and nothing else.

"I love you" she could say. That was truly what she was feeling. That was love in the purest form.

He pressed their lips... And that kiss was one of the sweetest kisses both had ever had.

Together, they have known true love a long time ago. But this was one of those moments where they couldn't be more in love. Like two kids.

"You know I never stopped loving you, right?" She asked, her face still in front of his.

"I do." He said. "Marrying is about... promising love to the person you love in front of God... right?"

"Mmhhmm" she replied with a smile. What was he thinking about?

"Well, so..." he took her hand in his. "Come here" he said, lifting her, and sitting her to his lap.

With the other hand, he took her face. "Victoria... my angel..."

Oh, God, she knew it. He was going to create something. Him and his tenderness.

"I swear, in front of God... and beneath this wonderful stars...that I will love you" Her tears started to appear in her eyes. "I'll protect you... I'll take care of you. In the good, and the bad. Whatever happens... Whenever, and Whoever... With you. Always"

Her tears streaming down her cheeks, and the smile of pure happiness on her face killed him by love.

She hugged him like a little girl. "Now it's my turn?" She asked, still pinned to his embrace.

"Yes. If you want to, of course"

She laughed softly.

Still hugging him, and laying her head on his shoulder like a child, she started.

"David... Love of my life" she was whispering. "In front of God, I promise... that I'll love you... Always, and forever. I'll stay by your side, whatever happens. Under any circumstance, reason or motive... Forever."

He pressed her tighter against him.

"Maybe rings are not completely necessary after all... I see all you need is... love" she laughed.

"That's it, Vee. All we need is love".

All they needed was their love.

* * *

The hours lengthened there, beside the warm heat and beneath the bright stars.

Their hands were still moored to each others. They had no idea what time it was already, but being there was absolutely entertaining. She didn't remember the last time she did something like this… Talking, first of all. So much time had passed since someone last talked deeply with her.

After hours of lying beneath a stunning sky, he noticed that her eyelids were starting to get heavy while they talked.

"Baby, you're sleepy." he said, running a hand across her arm.

"Hmm yes, a little bit."

"Okay, let's go." he stood up and helped her lifting up from her place. "Go inside, I'll go in a minute."

He stayed outside turning the fire off, and after that, followed her inside.

When he got into their bedroom, she had already changed her clothes to her grey nightgown with sleeves. That one saved a special memory for her; It was the one she always used to wear every winter, but she had also wore it during her two last pregnancies. Touching its fabric always reminded her the feeling of laying her hands above her bump. How wonderful was that while it lasted…

"It's impossible that you look that beautiful with every single thing you wear." he surprised her.

She laughed for his sweetness. "You say that because you love me."

"Well, if you say it…But I don't lie to you." he softly laughed.

That night, their lovemaking was one of those moments they would never forget.

It was the sweet, the happy and the lovely, all together in both of them.

It was a moment where whispering "I love you" continuously to each other's ear was something they'd always remember.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm scared… I'm not gonna lie to you."

"I know that… I can see it in your eyes, you don't need to lie to me."

She just pressed his hand tighter against hers, and took her gaze far away from his face.

"Vee… everything's gonna be alright, relax."

He wasn't helping. For her, it would have been better if he stayed in silence. The quick nervous movement of her leg was already out of her conscious control.

He laid his hand fondly above it.

...Finally. "Let's go."

* * *

"Well, Victoria… " the woman started. "The blood test showed some values out of the normal range. As I told you before, this could mean a lot of things. But given your symptoms, the physical states you said you felt, and this values, I think the right step now is to pass directly to the main test… which is the tomography."

 _Tomography._ She gave him a quick look, andher face turned into a confused expression. "But why?... What are you exactly looking for?"

The woman made a pause. "At the moment, I'm not looking for anything in special. It's a check"

"But why?" she needed to ask, and needed to be answered. "What is that that took you to that test in particular?".

"Victoria…" the woman eyed them both. "There's a possibility that you're suffering a dangerous kind of meningitis."

Her mind frozened. Nothing could pass through her mouth. The only thing she could do was to pin her gaze to his eyes.

"If you consider it right, we can make it today, in a few hours." Only the doctor's voice took her out of him.

She turned around, confused, desperate, and God knows what else… "Yes, please." she replied unfocused.

"Good." the woman gave her smile. "Try to stay calm, Victoria. It's just a possibility."

She nodded with her head lowed.

 _Meningitis..._ Who was going to take care of her daughter? And her grandchild?... She couldn't leave the three alone. God no, she couldn't...

* * *

"Will you come inside?" Victoria asked him afraid.

He had her cold hands between his… feeling that cold skin broke his heart. Because he knew right now, she was feeling like a lonely little girl like the one she was once.

"No, darling, I can't come in... But don't you forget, I'm right here, okay?" He kissed the knuckles of her hand. "Right after this door"

His gaze got locked with hers. _Oh darling,_ he could see the paralyzing fear in her eyes claiming for help... "Be strong. You're good in that"

She smiled shyly. _I'm not sure I can be right now,_ she wanted to have the courage to say.

The door opened. "Are you ready?" A woman smiled.

"Yes" she said, recovering from the fear she failed on hiding him.

They got in. And he was dying. He wished he could press her hand right now...

When she was already changed, the woman gave her the instructions:

"I'm gonna ask you that you move the less possible. Specially your head. And I'll talk with you, but if you don't want to, you can tell me. The same with anything you feel, okay? Pain, chills, whatever... fine?"

"Yes" she smiled.

"Great" the woman gave the smile back.

She laid back on the white plank, and that strange and desperate noise started. The plank slide inside the steel machine... She wasn't that scared. She was afraid, and that's different.

"Can I call you by your name?" She heard the woman's voice.

"Yes."

There was a short silence. She hated silence. She preferred to talk with her.

Of course the doctor knew who she was. Everybody knew. But yet, she was a person who was now living a calm life away from that place, and she was a patient. They need to talk sometimes and they don't know it. There must have been a reason why she was so far away from The Hamptons.

"Do you have kids, Victoria?"

"Yes... three."

"What do you have?"

"Two boys, and one girl... the youngest."

"Oh how nice... how old is she?"

"Twenty"

"Oh... grandchildren?"

"Uhm, one... on the way" the discreet smile appeared on her face.

"Oh, congrats!"

"Thank you".

"How much is she?"

"Almost two months..."

"Wonderful... Do you have a favourite cloth, Victoria?"

She thought a little bit. "Yes... it's a dress. And a sweater."

"What color are they?"

"Red, and... turquoise."

"And what colour do you like?"

"Gold... and red."

"Beautiful."

There was another silence.

"Were you in love any time in your life, Victoria?

 _What? What does that question have to do?_

"Well, yes… of course."

"And how did it feel like?"

"It's just… wonderful."

"I can imagine. Well, it's done."

The plank started to slide out just after the words of the woman. When it was out, she turned her head aside to see the doctor helping her to get down.

"Did you feel anything?"

"No. Everything was normal."

"Good." the woman smiled.

She placed her clothes in the plank and let her alone to change herself.

Finally, a little time to be alone and think. Even when it wasn't very much… As she started to dress up, her mind didn't even know what to think. She was used to tragedy anyway, to pain, to abandonment.

But she wasn't scared. She was afraid, of leaving her family alone. She feared she couldn't meet her grandchild…

And she thought all this without knowing the results yet. She hoped not, but she wouldn't be surprised if life gave back all she has done with this. _In a certain point, I deserve it, I guess._ She said to herself.

She opened the door, and crossing it, she found him seated right beside the door, where he promised he would be. He was calm, with his gaze pinned to the floor.

He was thinking about something. She was sure of that because he didn't even noticed her coming out from the room.

Slightly, she kneeled beside the chair.

"Do you remember a woman you used to love named Victoria?" she whispered.

He had turned his eyes down to her and laughed at her humor. "I have sort of a memory" he replied. Both got up and he wrapped an arm around her waist, without taking his eyes of her. She seemed more calm than early…

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes" she smiled. He knew that smile, and was so fake as her intentions of hiding her fear.

He didn't reply as she put on her coat.

"What did she tell you?"

"That they could tell me the results and give a diagnosis now, but the neurologist is not here. So we can come back tomorrow"

"Right."

* * *

"How did it go?" Charlotte asked her mother.

"Fine" she replied, as she got close and gave her a kiss. "They will tell me tomorrow".

"Sure." the girl replied.

Her father told her about the probable diagnosis earlier. And she took it as all a mature woman. Of course she was worried, but she knew it was just a possibility and she didn't want to have a chat with her mother about it until it was confirmed.

That night, Charlotte was seated outside while they were on the sofa, beside the window. They had a clear view of their daughter.

"Now…" he started taking her hand. "Don't forget I can see into your eyes, Vee. As you can see into mine. I've loved you for a long time and I know you. You don't need to hide your fear."

She lowered her head, trying to escape her eyes from his. But she couldn't contain the tears coming out.

"Ssshhh" he took her in his arms and pressed her against his body. "Cry if you need to, honey. You don't stop looking beautiful because of it."

She let out a small little laugh. That's what he wanted…

"I can't leave you alone…"

"No, you won't."

"You can't know it, David, you can't." she said with that voice that destroyed him.

"No, darling, but you have to stop feeling guilty for things that aren't under your control. I know you need to control everything but sometimes you can't." He lifted her head by her chin and with his fingers, he dried her tears. He gave her a smile… and she gave him sweet kiss.

From outside, Charlotte catched that moment. _Oh…_ her heart melted. She never saw her mother so happy. Actually, she had never seen her mother being in love… and this was true.

That way he embraced her… finally, she could see how they were. The way they were. That was LOVE. She placed one hand on her abdomen… and looked up to the sky thanking God for all those blessings. She felt blessed.

When she got her eyes back to the window, she saw her father observing her. Her mother had got up and wasn't there.

He winked his eye to her. She gave her a big smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hi, well I know this is a very short chapter but I wrote it and I decided to stop there and publish it for you not to worry and to be calm. I hope it works ;D_**

* * *

That glassy reflection of himself in her eyes was breaking his heart.

"Honey, no…" he sort of begged, and his fingers took her few tears that slipped down her cheeks.

She desperately hooked her body against his, like a little child, full of fear… He could feel the terror in the pressure her arms made against his back. _Oh, baby…_ his heart was breaking. He couldn't keep seeing her like this. He prayed to God to be good with what the doctor was going to tell them.

The doctor's office door opened beside them, and Victoria pushed her head to the opposite side hiding her face. She have always hated people to see her vulnerable…

"When you're ready" the woman said, and left the door half opened while walked inside.

He took her face in his hands. "Let's go?"

She nodded with her eyes painfully shut.

* * *

"Well…" the woman started with a relaxed little smile.

She suspected that she could start feeling calm that nothing was bad with her health, but just in case, she didn't yet.

" … I know this must haven't been easy for you two, and for your children, but I'm glad to tell you, Victoria… that everything's fine."

Both felt how their hearts stopped for a flash second, and started beating again without all the burden of that threatening possibility.

Neither of both said a word. They just looked at each other for a sudden moment, recognizing the relief in their eyes. _Thank God,_ he just thought.

"Are you… sure? Did he already see the images?" she asked insecurely.

"Yes. Everything's perfect and that possibility is completely out. What I must tell you, and that is serious, that you're truly in the middle of a hard stress situation."

She lowered her head, and his hand found hers. She knew it, damn it… This wasn't new.

"Yes, absolutely… It's true."

"Right. I advise you that, for at least the next whole month, you save repose, relax, separate from every big responsibility that you could have in the possible… and enjoy your family. Love is primordial." the doctor finished with a smile of confidence.

"Totally" Victoria replied almost laughing.

"I don't think pills are necessary, since the pain is caused purely by your emotional and nervous state. But in case you feel something else you can't control, or that you have troubles for sleeping, for example… don't doubt on coming and we're gonna see how we can solve it."

"Thank you." Victoria replied with a smile.

It was over. The torture was over. She was completely fine… Thank God.

On the way, she felt like a big heavy something was taken out of her chest. Looking through the glass she posed her eyes above everything that took her attention. Just watching it, hearing the nothing, even if David talked to her, she reacted seconds later. Thank God, she'd have at least more time that she imagined to be with her grandchild. To hold it. To see her daughter with the big bump the last days before giving birth.

…

Charlotte was sitting on a branch beside a big tree, feeling how the sun rays warmed her body, and she was sure sun must have had some medical properties because when she felt sick, the comfortable light made her feel lighter, more relieved.

She couldn't stop thinking about her mom.

She have always thought every person had to pay its sins committed in this world. That was fair for her. And she knew that like everyone, her mother wasn't a saint and there were big mistakes on her record. Some of them, hurted a lot. Even her, in some times. But despite that, she was just asking God for giving her mom any punishment He decided it was correct, but except illness. Anything. Being murdered, or a silent death in the night, but seeing her deteriorating her being, she couldn't deal with that…

"Hi baby" her mother smiled as she walked towards her, kissed her cheek and seated by her side. Once there, she bent forward and kissed her abdomen.

"So… "

"So… everything's fine."

"No way."

"Yes… " she answered laying her head back, feeling how the sun caressed her face.

She felt her daughter's arms wrapping around her body, and the feeling of safety for finally being home with her family conquered her.

She hold to her daughter as she hold to that feeling. To love.

…

" _Yes… absolutely. I have her, she cannot escape this time, I promise… Totally. Yes._

 _I'll collect everything she owes me."_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hey little kids :) I wanna thank you again because I really didn't think I'd have this response when I got into the site. So, again, THANK YOU!**_

 _ **This chapter doesn't exactly continue the events of the story, but the last days I was feeling really melted by love with these two, so this came out from my heart and I thought you may like this one. :)**_

* * *

"Don't you think it's a little early to be awake?"

Instantly, a relaxed sound of satisfaction came out from her throat, reacting to his whisper into her ear. His low voice in the morning was just adorable.

After feeling his lips kissing her cheek, she laid all her weight against him, taking advantage of his embrace.

He wondered what was she looking at through that window so much. It was an ordinary view, the one they have been seeing every day they woke up since they arrived. As always, she had her eyes lost in it.

Actually, she was still a little sleepy. But she just couldn't sleep anymore. Four hours of sleeping weren't exactly the ideal, but she was used to it.

"I think it would be better for you to sleep more."

"If you can tell me how, I'll do it delighted."

"What do you mean? You can't sleep?."

"It's just that I'm used to sleep a certain amount of hours, and It's not that simple to change the habit."

"Right… What time did you wake up?

"Uhm… around five, I guess."

"And why don't you stay in bed? It's cold in the morning."

"I can't be quiet for a long time and you know it" she said laughing.

He poked his head into her neck, feeling the natural smell of her skin. He have always had it in his memory… after caressing her skin with his mouth, he kissed it a few times lovingly, following the habit he had everyday.

There wasn't a day they were together, so in the past as now, he didn't let her feel his love. A coddle, a caress, a tight embrace, a word… There wasn't a day he let pass without her to feel that from him. He has always thought that was important.

She have always thought about that during all this time. That's one of the many things she had always remembered he did.

"Did you eat something?" he asked.

"No."

"Fine... I'll make you something" he disentangled his arms from her body and started walking towards the kitchen.

"No, don't, I'm not hungry" she informed.

"Vee, you have to. And you know it."

Damn it. He was right...

"And after you finish eating, we're gonna go back to bed. Maybe I can get you to sleep a little more. You need it" he turned around and offered his smile.

Knowing his humor, she wasn't sure if he meant what he said or if he was adding a sexual connotation to that sentence. She laughed anyway, he always made her laugh.

* * *

"How did you not to fall in a depression every night when you were there?... I'd have died of sadness... Without my children." She asked him, as she ran a hand across his hair.

"I don't know, honestly... some nights I just kept looking at the moon wondering how Amanda was. If she missed me. Wondering how you were. If you thought about me... "

"You know I did" she got closer to him.

"I do" he said.

He took her hand into his and his mouth captured hers in a sudden second. That hand he had taken... she instantly left it and wrapped both of her arms around his neck.

Their mouths loved each others. They just couldn't let them separate for a second. They were just... poisoning. Those tongues have had a long time without touching each other and they needed them.

He broke the kiss, and his eyes locked with hers, as his hand hold her face... He instinctively looked down them... and _God._ That tight night top in special gave him a wonderful view of her rounded cleavage.

He started to feel heat running through his body... and also felt her leg wrapping around his hip.

Without thinking, he pushed himself beside her ear. "Do you know what I felt all those nights?" He flipped her half round to make her see him from down, getting above her with one hand beneath her neck. His mouth went back to her ear with a purpose...

"...I felt really jealous of the moon, because it knew all your thoughts and secrets of late in the night... "

He attacked her neck with kisses, hungry kisses for her flesh. "...It saw you getting undressed in front of it millions of nights..."

The mixed power of his words and his whisper made her breath get harder and her spine to arch for imagining...

"It saw you sleeping calmly, crying, and smiling all that time I couldn't"

 _And that's your fault, bitch. SHUT UP._

Her unconscious was again torturing her. But she wasn't going to let her mind drive her crazy.

"That's why I'm jealous... And your blankets..."

 _Oh God,_ she couldn't deal with this.

Her hands grabbed the hem of his boxers, attempting to take them down in a second... but he was faster. He didn't want to torture her, but he wanted to enjoy having her under his spell this time.

"No" he said as he quickly got her hands away from him and took them to the pillow. Right beside her head, forbidding them moving.

"Your blankets..." he whispered coming back to her ear. "... They touched every part of your body when I wished i could... Do you still sleep naked on summer?"

"Ye ee sss" she could sigh. His mouth in her neck was killing her.

"Good. Then... I'm completely jealous of them"

He released her hands, never taking his mouth from where it was. "Done. I just wanted you to let me finish talking and I knew you wouldn't have"

Her hands stayed resting beside her. She preferred to see what he was going to do with her. Her imagination was delighting her at the point where her eyes were already closed... and their clothes were still invading their bodies.

He lifted her head to her eyes, and saw her just lying there, quietly... He knew her. He knew what she wanted. She wanted him to play with her, to tempt her...

His lips drowned in the little exposed skin of her rounded and precious breasts. That top was completely disturbing...

He buried his two hands beneath the fabric, and within a sudden movement and two arms lifted, the top wasn't covering her anymore. And his mouth was finally losing him into the caress between his tongue and her left breast. Her hands pushed his head against her chest, that hands contained all the tension she hasn't released yet. Her mind was driving her crazy by anxiety... she wanted to have his head between her legs right now, and watch him while feeling his tongue against her...

He lifted his head and placed his mouth in hers again, burying his tongue there and wishing he could reach her throat.

She took advantage of the position and lowered his boxers roughly... dying by wishing to have his genitals between her hands right now... but she controlled herself.

Breaking the kiss, she took his head in her hands and pushed him slowly down her body, right where she was wishing to have him, where she was still dressed.

His hands worked fast, slipping the piece of fabric down those legs, putting his head above that zone just after the clothe left her skin.

Her lungs were starting to work faster... and she felt his hands taking her thighs by the side, burying his fingers in her flesh... that delicious flesh the moon had seen more times that he could.

Her legs opened...

...

Her moan released all that tension she had stuck inside her throat. His tongue caressed every centimeter of her genitals, every microscopic sensitive place of her clitoris that opened her throat in a desperate pleasure cry.

Slowly, enjoying the sound for his ears coming from her... sensing her hips barely moving against his caress.

Finally, she could press her hands against his head, pushing him deeper, asking him for more... and her legs beside his head, never wanting to let him go.

The liquids invading his mouth were _oh..._ exquisite.

Feeling her muscles pressing his cheeks... and her hands in his head were just wonderful. He had her hips firmly hold by his hands, pushing it closer to his mouth.

Every moan she let out made him get crazier, giving his whole tongue to his woman's genitals, tasting, caressing and he wished he could swallow that flesh. How he'd have wanted to swallow her completely.

He always loved to look at her. At her precious face, how her eyes shut and her mouth opened that little, but little enough to let the pleasure leave her in form of sounds. How her breath became shorter, faster and the pitch of the moans increased inside a sigh... He never felt with other woman the way he felt when he made love with her. Victoria was his queen, his angel, physically she was beautiful overreaching the dreams of pornography.

And personally, nobody could compare to her. Nobody.

The demanding muscles of her most intimate zone started to contract each time faster, every time he slipped his tongue above her. Her legs were hard trying their best to hold the weight of themselves and the uncontrollable wave of that paradise sensation invaded her, starting from her lower abdomen, and taking her whole body in seconds, immobilizing her and subjected to his will. That wave left her progressively by her throat, making her moans sound deliciously to his ears.

Delighted by her, as he always was, he lifted himself and laid beside his woman, right against her body, placing his lips for a sweet kiss on her chest before it. The heat coming from her was so comfortable. Her warm skin made him unable to leave her, the same effect she always had on him.

She was so damn adorable. Those deep eyes still shut, breathing slower, recovering air, holding his chin...

She had him under her spell from years ago.

After ten minutes of an irresistibly cute talk, most of it about their grandchild, she started to play with his curls. Like a little girl, a completely one. Not even Amanda had ever done that... Her beauty was constant. She looked beautiful whatever she did. In a certain moment, her eyes posed on his, and she noticed how badly, deeply he was looking into her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing... I'm just... enjoying watching you. For moments, I thought I could lose you again for something I wouldn't be able to control this time... and I was suffering inside, even when I showed you something different."

She smiled. Saved a pause, and within those few seconds of silence her face was touching his. The tip of her nose made caresses to his, like playing with him, again like a child.

"I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere... I wanna see my grandchild being born, I wanna help raising it, I wanna teach it to talk... And I want to live by your side." She said. And a perfect, passionate kiss took control of both... As she did of his body too.

He flipped herself on top of him, never leaving his mouth.

After few seconds of feeling her smooth mouth with his, her speller, poisoning zone was around his.

The initial pleasant pressure made both free a high breathed sigh. His hands made contact with those beautiful buttocks she was privileged to have... and the feeling of her moving that seductive body above him with so much force made his mind shut in the second she started getting in and out.

Her cheek was pinned beside his and every sound buried directly into his ear, for his advantage.

And God, she loved him. She knew he was a man that couldn't resist to her love and skills. He wasn't that kind of person, actually... He always treated her like a queen, even in sex. And that included letting her take him, and of course, not resisting. She was wonderful in this, and he never doubt that no man in this world could. And she loved to have men under her control...

...

"I love you" he whispered, after recovering from the orgasm, still beneath the body of his woman.

"I love you too" she replied, giving him a smile, drawing caresses on his chest.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hiiiiiiiiii! Well, I only have one request to make: PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME.**_

* * *

The early sun felt nice. It warmed her body, and probably could clear her thoughts a little. She wished that… she needed clearness.

The night before, her head started hurting again. After two days of feeling completely relaxed and comfortable, she had no idea why.

Evidently, her mind wasn't relaxing. But why, damn it.

And it happened in the middle of the night. _In the middle of the damn night._ They were both sleeping peacefully, and suddenly her consciousness opened her eyes and the stormy painful feeling took her head. That's what she remember.

Taking a pill wasn't going to calm it, the doctor let that clear. It wasn't something a pill could heal.

She had to wipe away all that load. Fears, nerves… that storm she has lived with her whole life. To leave that meant to start living with a new mentality. A new healthy mind and soul.

The only thing David could do, was to embrace her, lay her head against his chest and wait for the pain to leave. His arms hold her firmly and lovingly… as if that could take the sensation away. But it was really worrying for him. To see her suffering like that every time it happened destroyed him. But what destroyed him more was the fact that there wasn't anything he could do to calm her pain. He could only help her… because it was going to be a delicate process. She'd need the love and the contention of her family.

It broke him into pieces. When she almost shouted by pain against his chest, pressing her arms around him like a little child in danger. When it was over, directing his gaze to hers was heartbreaking. The tears in the edges of her precious eyes were just about to come out.

"I'm really tired of crying" she said with a weak tone.

"I know, baby... But you're gonna be good. We'll be by your side."

* * *

"Guilt is tremendously powerful. Did you know that?" she shot, hearing his steps behind, rubbing the grass towards her.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, sitting on the branch beside her.

"I am the proof of that."

"Oh Victoria c'mon, shut up."

"We both know I'm serious."

"Actually, no. I don't think so."

"Whatever. Sooner or later… I'm gonna get what I deserve."

"Okay, what's happening?... I know that tone in your voice."

"Life is a circle, David. Just that."

"But like what?... Why is life supposed to give you something back?"

She lowered her gaze… It wasn't that simple. It had no sense to tell him how her life has been for the last twenty-something years. _Well well, I guess it's time, pretty girl._

That unwished voice caused her to shake her head. How she wished to stay asleep for hours only not to hear it.

Because now, she only had three reasons to live: Her daughter, her grandchild and him.

"We all do good things and bad things in our lives. And mine has more bads than goods."

"You're not the only person who makes mistakes, Vee."

"I know. But I've hurt people that I love. Really deep. And for me, that's unforgivable."

She was afraid she needed to tell him. She needed it. The pressure inside was killing… And that voice wasn't going to shut up. Even when she knew it was right. He has always been honest with her, and she couldn't do this anymore. She was failing him. It was supposed she loved him and lying shouldn't be included in the definition of 'love'. It was over. This was the moment.

"Vee c'mon, what's so bad?"

…"I lied to you." She wished she could look him at the eyes as a confession should be made. She wished she could face the consequences looking at him accepting her mistake. But guilt had her… And hate. And anger. And sadness. All, to herself. She hated herself. She was disgusted of herself.

"With what?"

 _God, please help me._ Her eyes started to become wet… "I got to call things by their name. I betrayed you."

He didn't say a word. He was like a tiger waiting for its prey to stay quiet… And in that moment, the minimal idea of what she was talking about crossed his mind. It couldn't be possible, no. It couldn't. She loved him. _Vee, please no._

"Victoria… talk."

"I was the one who stole your laptop that night." Crying took possession of her. Within seconds, her eyes were shut, desperate as the ones of somebody who suffers. Who truly suffers, from heart.

His eyes closed with force. She had to be lying. He wished all that force in his eyes could erase what she said.

"You didn't."

"I did" she could murmur through the anguish of her voice.

When he opened his eyes, very deeply he was wishing he could feel mercy for her. But to hear her cry, with her hands covering her face and her knees pinned to her chest didn't cause him any compassion towards her.

He breathed deep and rough, controlling himself not to lift his voice. He wasn't going to treat her bad. He wasn't that kind of person.

"Do you know what you did?"

Slowly, she lifted her head and finally, her red, wet eyes took courage to meet his.

"...yes" she answered like a little child who knows she made a mistake. "Yes, and I'm sorry..." her hand stretched trying to reach his cheek, but instead of that, his face run away from her hand within a second. "I've feeling like a horrible monster since then"

"All I had is gone, Victoria..."

"I know, I know and I hate myself for that but listen to me.."

He stayed quiet in silence. He was containing himself not to explode. He wasn't a man who treated his woman that way. He wasn't like the other ones who hurt her.

"He threatened me. He would have taken my son away from me"

"You could have talked with me"

"It wasn't that simple"

"Sure. It wasn't for you" he stood up and started walking away.

"No no no no please" she followed him, begging to come back and talk to her.

"I'm not gonna listen to you, Victoria."

"Just let me tell you why"

"You just told me, and I don't believe it" he never stopped walking. He was walking towards nowhere, he didn't know. The field was big and the only thing he wanted was to get away from her.

"Why can't you understand I didn't want to hurt you? I had no choice"

He turned around, and stopping suddenly, his hands took her face pressing her skin with force. "You had a choice. You did. And that was talking to me about it. I could have helped you, and Daniel. I'd have given anything to protect you, I'd have never let him hurt you. Never."

She had to take advantage of this few seconds of clearness he was having. She hold his hands firmly, and when he tried to take them down she stopped him.

"Well you don't think about things like that when someone is threatening the life of your child."

What was he going to say?...What could he say? He didn't. He just dropped her face out and turned around, getting away from her.

She didn't try to follow him. Because in the bottom of her heart, she knew he was right. How would she have reacted in her place? If the person she has loved for years would have done the same thing?...

She felt like a monster. The few times in her life a little suicidal instinct had appeared inside her mind, she successfully could tear it away.

And it came again. It invaded her. Every time something health for her life was happening, every single time, it always found the way to go wrong. Always.

Along with those powerful wishes of leaving her life there were them. There they appeared, to make those dark thoughts that attacked her in a second leave as fast as they arrived.

There they were. Their image. Her daughter and that baby, that baby she was sure it was going to change their lives. And she was going to love that child as she loved her own.

That evening, the soft misty rain covered the fields and all around them.

With the mind lost, the heart exhausted and the feelings all mixed in one, Victoria laid in the bathtub. The warm water that caressed her body always achieved to calm her. Except now…

Her hands played with the water like she played when Charlotte was a baby. That distraction she needed. But of course, she couldn't. She wished there could be a way of fixing everything she has done. She always had. But it was late. She didn't regret being honest with him…

And she closed her eyes. Closing them always took her to another place… this time, to him. Again. _The night they met. The following matches in several events. The day she realized she felt something for him. The day both told they loved each other. The morning on the beach when he kissed her for the first time. The night they made love for the first time. Those mornings when she woke up with somebody who loved her and she loved. The smell of food in the morning. The desire of not wanting to get up and stay there with him. The night she told him she was pregnant. Their joy. The pregnancy. The bump. The kicks. That last kiss. That last night together. And the loss…_

"Are you ok?" a voice shocked her out of her perfect world. It was him.

"Ah, yes…"

"You're sure?"

"Well… actually no, I'm not okay, but I don't complain." she said softly, ending it with a subtle smile of pain.

He didn't answer, and left the bathroom.

He didn't try to make her feel better. And that wasn't common in him. Which meant… he was really serious about this. He was angry, but was also hurt.

 _"I'm not myself when you're around… I'm not myself and I don't know why. I don't know who I'm supposed to be. When you're around, I don't know who I am._

 _I'm not myself all alone at night."_

* * *

Final: X-Static Process by Madonna. (The song helped me with some ideas and the lyrics fit good with Vee's inner ghosts)


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hi! Well thanks for not killing me! haha.**_

* * *

 _"I swear, in front of God... and beneath this wonderful stars...that I will love you. I'll protect you... I'll take care of you. In the good, and the bad. Whatever happens... Whenever, and Whoever... With you. Always"_

 _You said always, love... please try to understand._

Victoria's head laid on the pillow. She had never felt like this before... She had never felt this abandoned.

Not because of somebody in particular. But once again, she hurted someone she love. Again. And that always left a feeling of emptiness in that damaged heart… And that wasn't something people could see very often in her. Because she never let anybody to see it. _You're not useful even for telling the fucking truth, Victoria._

Behind her, she perceived the slow movement of the blankets above and that could help her to get free of her stormy mind. She turned around, just to look him at his eyes when he opened them, and try to guess what was going through his heart now. She had to try, to check if there wasn't really a chance for him to let what she said behind. She knew that wasn't easy, because she put herself in his place. And yes. She would have felt completely betrayed. And even more, coming from a person she loved. But she hoped with all she had, that his love could be stronger.

He was just waking up. She could hear the little sounds he have always made when he was coming out from sleeping. _Please, look at me, baby. Just once._

The deep blue was exposed there for her. And they matched with those precious brown of hers, for her relief. She remained silent, catching that gaze, trying to figure out how he was feeling.

"Hi" he said in a cold tone. And his eyes were instantly retired from hers, to set on something as trivial as the window. He wasn't that kind of person who denied at least, saying hi to someone. He was a good person.

She saw nothing in his eyes. Nothing. And she had never seen that look before, so short, so inexpressive…

"Hi" she said whispering, with that sweet voice tone she had even when she woke up, that voice that normally melted him. Her arm stretched with the hope that he would let her hand caress his cheek, but that wasn't the case.

He wasn't abrupt. But his sharpness with something as simple as a caress showed her what she needed to know. Nothing was erased. The angry and the pain were still mixed there, together. Fresh.

Before her hand even touch his skin, he grabbed it halfway and pulled it down. She lowered her head, she had nothing to do or to say. Given the little will for communication from his side, she laid again under the blankets and rested her head on the pillow.

She still looked at him. He was just there, relaxed, calm, God knows what he was thinking about, pinning his attention to any infinite point of the room. He didn't seem worried… But he seemed sad. She knew that. When he didn't talk and avoided any kind of conversation she knew something was wrong.

She was laying there like a little girl who is tormented by knowing she did something bad. Looking at him as she owed him something… After all, she did. She wasn't going to turn around. She needed to keep her attention on him.

Without any reason, his head turned aside and his eyes scanned her face. But it was notorious that this was something you do purposely.

There were a lot of things into her eyes. Most of all, remorse. And sadness.

For her own surprise, she felt afraid of talking. She felt like she didn't have the right.

But she noticed that looking at her, the state of those blue eyes changed. They didn't seem empty anymore. As she knew, anger and pain could be seen in there. But also… love. He still looked at her with love. He couldn't stop doing it.

There was when she understood for what he was going through. The mix of damage from a betrayal, and love with years there inside.

He didn't say a word. But she didn't believe this was necessary. Both already knew how to read each other. Read everything… Eyes, voice, and corporal language.

* * *

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

"Nothing, daughter, we just… argued."

"Hhmm…" The girl didn't believe a word.

"Really, you don't have why to worry." Now, Victoria was happy she had something more to put their attention on. She laid her hands on both sides of her daughter's still flat abdomen. "How did you wake up today?" she asked, before getting down to kiss her unborn grandchild.

"Fine. Better than yesterday."

"Good. You thought about the names?"

"Yes, but nothing definitive… Is it normal that I feel, you know… fear?"

"Fear of what, honey?"

"Of not being a good mother… you know, I'm young, and…"

"Charlotte" she interrupted her daughter. "It is completely normal. I felt the same way, and remember I was way younger than you. And I was alone. You're blessed to have what you have. Including your child… Nobody comes here with instructions on how to be a mother. You learn on the way."

The girl nodded, seeming relieved.

* * *

That night, Charlotte was outside, seated on the grass, as she used to do. Watching the stars, enjoying the silence. Getting used to this new life where her child was going to be raised. And she liked it.

David had left for a few hours. He didn't tell her what he was going to do, but the only thing she expected he didn't do was to leave her, and that wasn't the case. His clothes were still there, at least.

The wonderful, stunning night found her admiring it through the window of the living room. Seated. Drinking wine. She wasn't trying to erase her guilt into the alcohol, she wasn't. But she was used to drink when she felt like this, and she always said that you don't delete an habit just like that. Plus, she liked alcohol, certainly. She did.

When he arrived, she saw him greeting his daughter through the window. That pure and innocent scene stole her a smile. The first one in two days.

He didn't say anything when he entered. She looked at him, as she did the last days, with remorse. And sadness. She couldn't stop looking at him like that.

When her head was back into the infinite, she noticed his reflection on the glass walking towards her. She turned around, and found him getting close until he seated beside her.

"How many have you drank?"

The alcohol always relaxed her. And as usual when she drink, she started to feel tired and her muscles relaxed. But she wasn't drunk. Her tolerance to alcohol was way higher than what people would expect.

"I don't know… like four, I guess." she replied with a low tone.

He took the glass away from her hand and placed it on the table. She looked at him upset, she knew what he was trying to do.

When she stretched her arm to grab it back, he stopped her halfway. And she didn't fight, she knew he was stronger than her and if he wanted to stop her, he'd find the way.

"Don't do this to yourself, Victoria."

"I'm not doing anything wrong, David." she said bothered.

"Not now, but we both know what happens if you start doing this every night… You like alcohol, Victoria. You always have, and that's fine. But every time you feel like this, you drink. And just because you tolerate alcohol well doesn't mean there isn't a point when you get drunk. And then you fall asleep drunk, in the morning you wake up and not only you have a terrible headache but guess what? Alcohol didn't solve the problem. Look at me." He said. Not aggressively, but kindly, trying to get her attention due that she wasn't looking at him. He grabbed her chin, but she quickly took his hand away.

"Leave me" she said.

"Fine… I'm trying to help you. But this is common in you. You don't let people help you, because you're selfish. And proud. You always have. And that's the reason why we're like this."

"Right… Again, it's my fault. Only mine. I'm used to it, everything's my fault."

"No, I don't mean that."

"Forget it, it's okay." she said calmly, getting up. She started walking across the room.

"Victoria, c'mon, come here."

"I'm going to sleep." she said as she got further, reaching the staircase.

"Victoria, talk with me." he said, quickly standing up and walking towards her.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Oh please. I've been hurt for a long time and believe me, I'm used to the feeling. It starts to feel normal at a certain point."

"Okay fine… " he said, stopping beside the staircase. When he could no longer see her, her voice came out from the bedroom. What he could see, was the misty shadow of her body on the bedroom's door.

"I love you" she said, before closing the door.

* * *

An hour later, after being seated on the sofa thinking about everything she has said, he thought he should see how she was. Just to check.

When he opened the door, he saw her resting on the bed, dressed with her favourite nightgown. Her body was contracted into a roll and her legs were pressed together against each other. Only in that moment, was when he felt tenderness by her. When that icy wall he tried to create around him broke.

There he realized how cold the night became, and the blankets were crowded at the edge of the bed. She must have kicked them off her asleep.

He entered the room, walked to her, and taking care not to make any noise, he grabbed the blankets and covered her with them. He could rub the back of his hand against her shoulder, and noticed how cold her skin was.

Slowly, her eyes opened, as she felt her body becoming warm and stretching again by reflection.

"Thank you" she whispered, almost silently.

Seeing her eyes closing again so peacefully, so sweetly… This was really hard for him. Those mixed feelings inside him hadn't cleared yet, but if he was sure about something, he knew love was still there. And he wasn't going to deny it. He loved her, for much he wished anger to win over it. And at one point, he was trying to understand her… The life of her child was threatened. At another point, she had one alternative… _Did she?_

" _In front of God, I promise... that I'll love you... Always, and forever. I'll stay by your side, whatever happens. Under any circumstance, reason or motive... Forever."_

 _Under any circumstance… Really, Vee?..._

After all, that was a new promise. A new one, made in a new place, with new intentions, with a new future ahead. He started to think that he should consider everything better.

 _What am I going to do with you, Vee?_


	11. Chapter 11

"Thank you for covering me last night" Victoria said with a sleepy voice, entering the kitchen. She had thanked him before, just after he did it. But as she proudly assumed, he was along with her children the only person in this world who she would show weakness to. And plus, like every morning since the night, she didn't stop trying to get a word from him. She wasn't going to stop trying.

"You're welcome" he replied, without even looking at her.

This didn't do anything else but hurting her. Again. It felt as if her heart were being twisted around itself.

"David… how long are you going to do this to me?" she stood beside him. Her eyes denoted the sadness that his indifference caused, pinned right to his face, waiting desperately for his reaction.

He returned the gaze.

"What do you mean?"

"This… You make me feel like a monster. I know that's what I can seem to be mostly of the time, but it's enough torture with my own guilt believing that I am truly a monster. You don't talk to me, you let me think that you don't love me anymore…"

His gaze changed. His eyes showed something else… something like… compassion. Though he hated to know they did.

"And if you're trying to make me suffer, well, it's working… But please don't have me like this. Anything you wanna say to me, say it. If you want me to explain something, I will, anything. But please be clear… And don't do this to me anymore, please. Think about your daughter, and that baby."

"Don't put them into this."

"Fine, whatever… We're going to have to talk about it any time."

"Okay." he said, and adjusted himself on the chair directing his body in front of her. "Let's talk... " Damn it, too many memories… he swore to try to keep his mind away from that night. He lowered his head. "How did you do it?"

She remained silent, trying to collect courage to talk. She disgusted herself. "The… the night of the storm. You remember? You found me at the door and I was all wet…"

"You went there to find it, not to see me…" he ironically laughed to himself, still with his head down.

She breathed softly, and let words fall out from her mouth. "Yes."

"Who helped you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Somebody had to help you. You didn't stay with me that night, and when you left, a few minutes after I found you at the door, I was with you. Which means that somebody got in with you, and took it before I saw you. That's why you didn't have it."

"... It was Frank."

He laughed again. "I should have suspected that. I never liked him, anyway." Now everything finally had sent. He connected everything in his head in the lapse of two days.

"Now… I want you tell me truth, okay?" he made a pause, and his eyes were those of a father punishing his child.

She nodded in silence.

"Did you-..." he interrupted himself. "Do you feel any remorse for what you did?"

All her inner ghosts and storms seemed to push open the doors that contained them inside of that soul, and saw the light of that wonderful day through the tears that saddened those beautiful dark eyes. She couldn't contained them. She didn't even try. She had to finish this before it finished her.

But when she opened her mouth to answer, her voice didn't came in. Instead, her anguish took possession and her hand was the only thing that could try to calm her by covering her eyes.

She tried, but she only could nod.

And he kept without trying to calm her. He just remained there, seated, waiting.

"You can't… you don't imagine how much… " her voice became hard, and filled with the force of the pain she had inside. "... how much my soul has suffered because of all this. Every single day I woke up, I wondered why I was so stupid to do what I did. And that it was my fault that we couldn't be together anymore. I should have tried, I should have fought… And I didn't. And I guess this suffering is my punishment."

She noticed he wasn't looking at her. He had his held down back again, as if he were hiding something.

"Victoria, stop crying."

"What?" she didn't understand why this trivial answer right now.

"Don't cry, please. It destroys me."

She waited there. She didn't know what that meant.

"Come here" he said, standing up. And when he took her into his arms, she felt like her whole body lightened from a tremendously big load she knew she had above. "Don't cry, it's okay. I believe you."

 _Oh God, thank you_.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She looked deep into his eyes. "So you forgive me?"

"...Maybe"

"How maybe?"

"Maybe." he insisted, and separated from her, leaving her standing static.

"Wait come here." she didn't accept this. She reached him and placed her body in front of him, avoiding him to keep walking. "Be clear, please, I asked you."

He locked eyes with her. God, how beautiful they are… those could against every ghost and pain of her.

In a sudden second, his hands hold her head firmly, and his lips gave her soul back to her body again.

He had this mix of anger and love inside of him for two days, but they were enough to force him to take a decision. And he couldn't lose her. Not again.

Even when half of his life was a hell because of what she did, that was over. And there was nothing he could do to fix it. Neither of both could fix it.

She made a mistake, and she accepted it, and she apologized… and she pay a huge torment because of that. She was completely hurt by guilt, and the only thing she wanted was him to forgive her.

She kissed him with all the love she had in her heart… her whole body felt like floating on air.

And her, oh, she was always intoxicating. Her thin arms around his neck melted his heart by tenderness.

"So you forgive me?" she whispered with a naughty smile, trying to recover air after separating suddenly from him.

"Shut up Victoria" he demanded, and the next thing he did was to drag her against the wall, holding her by the waist, coming back to kiss her again.

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(I'll let how this chapter continues to your imagination ;) )


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hiii kids! Well I gotta say thank you for waiting. I was really dry of ideas and I think I still am. So i'm still finding the new direction of this story, and I have a little help from videos.**_

 _ **I want to tell you that this is the last chapter of this story. A new one is coming! (based on this)**_

 _ **The next fangirl event we have is to wait for Madeleine's directorial debut still don't know when _**_

 _ **And if you saw the season 4 bloopers on YT you'll understand how melted I feel, she looks damn adorable aksjaksjkasj. Well that's it. And I hope you like this, and understand it.**_

* * *

The following days passed like normal usual days for them three.

The fact that David forgave her didn't cause anything but relief and inner peace. She needed it.

The ambient couldn't be more filled with love, calm and the growing hope that everything could finally keep that pace now.

Exactly one week after that decisive talk between them both, at the very first hours of the morning, a little paperboard box was on the door. Nobody knocked, nobody called.

When Charlotte opened the door, the box was already there. It didn't have names, or labels, anything. It was just a box with a quite big heavy in it.

Charlotte left the box in the hands of her mother, beside her dad, questioning her about it, and facing a lack of answers, she decided to forget it and went out.

When she had the idea of flipping it, a message with black marker could be read: _"Open this without Charlotte present. You won't want her to see things like this."_

Evidently, someone was telling them something. But it wasn't directed to any of both in particular. It only indicated that it was convenient to protect Charlotte from what was inside that.

"What can be so terrible for her?"

"I don't know. But evidently, it's someone who cares about her, at least a little" he proposed.

"Will you…?"

"Yes. Bring a knife."

With all the intrigue, she walked a few meters and coming back, she handed it to him.

It wasn't difficult to open it. It was just tape.

He looked at her once more before opening it, with his hands holding the borders of the material.

He opened the box.

Photos, a metal element and a folder with papers were what could be seen at first sight.

"What the…?" Victoria was surprised.

"What is this?" he said, grabbing the little metal piece, similar to a memory card.

Meanwhile, Victoria grabbed the photos inside. It was a small amount, but the necessary ones for her to react exactly how the person that send it wanted her to react.

In the first one, showed her seated at the court one of the days of David's trial twenty years ago. "Oh c'mon… this shit again?" she protested.

"What?" he asked, taking a look at the photo himself. "What is this?" he couldn't track the date. It wasn't very specifical, it was just her. He probably didn't remember, but God she did.

"It was one of the days of your trial. I can't know which but I'm sure it's the place. I remember even exactly the way I was dressed."

"And the other?" God, why. The second shocked her even more. It was her, again, but her pregnancy was way more notorious in this. The mature bump drew a perfect rounded curve in front of her torso.

"What the fuck is this?" she tried to keep her calm. Who could be sending this? Who'd want to?

The third one showed the only day she took the already born daughter they shared to the place. The beautiful baby was placed head on against her shoulder, awake. She was always a pretty child, and everywhere she took her, all the gazes posed on the girl. The back of the photo was written with the same marker that the box: _Does he know? You know what i'm talking about._ God, that letter seemed familiar to her. She knew it, she had seen it many times but she just couldn't remember. What she was sure about, it's the courage of the person who used its own hand to write it.

He couldn't say a word, he didn't have any to say.

What was this? Again?

Victoria dropped them on the table effortless, like wanting to wash away everything she just saw. "And the folder?"

When he opened them, only one sheet of paper was there:

A letter. Who wrote it? They checked the signature. _Conrad Grayson._ "Son of a bitch" she shot.

"Who is this directed to?... It only says… Mr. D" he asked.

When he turned his face to her, he saw her lowering her head, her gaze pinned on the infinite wood of the table. "Vee?"

"This is…" she said grabbing the paper from his hands. "The person who pressed Conrad to find a guilty for his mess if he didn't want to make charge himself."

Who could have this letter in its possession?

"Here he's informing him that… everything was done." He knew what she meant. But he didn't want to keep talking, even when curiosity and doubt eated him inside. He decided to put everything back in the box, and placed it in a drawer of the kitchen.

He looked confused, not angry.

"Honey…" she said, placing her hands beside his arms when he came back. "...do you need to talk about something?"

"No. I don't wanna talk."

"Ok… Did something that I said make you bad?"

"No, no… it's just that… I still have to use to see things like this again."

"Right."


End file.
